Two MRU community members named "Compelling Calgarians"
New Year’s celebrations are steeped in tradition. For newspaper subscribers and online readers in Calgary, one of those traditions is an annual list published by the Calgary Herald and Sun in early January called Compelling Calgarians. The list, according to the Herald, “honours 20 Calgarians making their mark in our community and beyond, and are worth keeping an eye on in the year ahead. Their achievements are significant but are often outside the public spotlight.”
Compelling Calgarians from Mount Royal University in recent years have included President and Vice-Chancellor Tim Rahilly, PhD, as well as alumni Pabandeep Dhaliwal and Kanaakii Mekaisto. MRU is thrilled to have two members from our community included in 2024’s Compelling Calgarians.
Spirit River Striped Wolf
Graduating in 2023, Spirit River Striped Wolf is among the newest members of the MRU alumni community. He made MRU history in 2020 when he became the first Students’ Association of Mount Royal University (SAMRU) president of Indigenous ancestry. Since then, he has graduated with a Bachelor of Arts – Policy Studies. Striped Wolf continues to dedicate his time and knowledge to improving the lives of Indigenous People through his activism, advocacy, volunteering and leadership. While he is no longer on campus every day, Striped Wolf remains connected to Mount Royal in many ways, including contributing stories to MRU’s website.
Read Striped Wolf’s full Calgary Herald profile here.
Liza Choi
An associate professor in the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Liza Choi has impacted the lives of hundreds of students through the English-as-an-Additional-Language (EAL) Nursing Student Support Group. Launched in 2009, the program blends group learning, workshops and mentoring from peers and faculty. Her work was recognized by the Alberta government in 2023 when Choi was awarded an Alberta Newcomer Recognition Award in the category of Career and Academic contributions.